The field of the present invention is the manipulation and enhancement of theatrical film images.
Currently, the principal method of processing theatrical film for visual effects is manual preparation and assembly. To achieve special effects for theatrical quality analog film, analog processing has been employed. A process for creating a typical effect could consist of an artist physically painting an image on the film in combination with the film technician overlaying a matte to comprise an element of the picture. Other effects performed in the analog realm for the creation of theatrical film include, but are not limited to, fades, dissolves, optical zooms and superimposures. It is not uncommon that a process for creating a single frame of film requires five or six processing steps to achieve the desired effect. At 24 frames of film per second of motion picture, work may take days if not weeks to complete, is frequently quite labor intensive and can be tedious. Thus, a principal drawback of the current process is that an enormous amount of time and money are spent in order to achieve a final product.
These current methods of performing optical work are conducted by means of an optical printer designed in 1943. This optical printer is known as the Acme-Dunn Optical Printer. The basic design has been substantially enhanced and modified over the years but the equipment and time required to perform the effects of today are primarily based on this 1943 technology operating in an analog mode.
Digitizing of film has been undertaken. Such undertakings have found both military and civilian application. However, such digitizing has typically been for purposes of transmission and has been limited to still pictures typically without the quality required for theatrical film. Analog printing of digital images is also known. However, the lack of speed and/or clarity have typically prohibited the use of such operations in the creation of theatrical film.